Many on here believe Bellamy is currently the coach of the decade. The main reasoning is that he developed some true superstars of the game in Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis.
Whilst this is true the facts against far out-way the case for.
Bellamy has been at Melbourne since 2003. In that time he has made only the 1 legitimate Grand Final and 1 legitimate Premiership.
Yes, the Storm did make Grand Finals from 2006-2009 but they were the results of heavy cheating and illegally retaining some of the best players in the game.
It has also been proven that without his big 3, Bellamy is found wanting as a coach. We saw in the 2008 Grand Final that without Cameron Smith Melbourne lost all direction. We have also seen that during Origin, Melbourne struggle to win games without their spine present.
Bellamy’s development program is talked up yet we haven’t seen players anywhere near capable of being able to direct a team the way the Big 3 do.
The Big 3 are the best players in the world in their respective positions. So it would be fair to say that no one could fill their role.
However, Brisbane could find a way to win when most of their spine was missing due to Origin as have other clubs. Before I rate Bellamy as a good developer of talent, Melbourne have to be able to win consistently without Cameron Smith or Cooper Cronk.
I know trials are just that, trials. But Melbourne, the competition Premiers who’s NYC team is frequently one of the best, got absolutely hammered by Canberra.
Bellamy’s development is talked up but that trial showed just how much Melbourne rely on their Big 3.
Now, the major bone I have to pick with people claiming he is the coach of the decade need to look at the reasons why they think he is.
Bellamy coached Melbourne to 4 consecutive Grand Finals (illegally), yet, even with an illegal team, they only managed to win 2 of them.
The last team to reach 4 consecutive Grand Finals was the Eels from 81-84, winning 3 in a row. He also failed to adapt his coaching style to fit Origin and it saw NSW punished for the 3 years he was in charge.
And last, but not least, Bellamy is yet to prove himself away from the Melbourne system. Super Coach Jack Gibson coached at a number of clubs and won 5 Premierships.
Wayne Bennett is at his 3rd club and he delivered a Premiership to the success starved St George fans. Even Tim Sheens has been to more than one club and he’s won Premierships at more than one club.
For Bellamy to be even considered anywhere near these coaches he has to move away from Melbourne and test himself and his coaching abilities. Because right now blind Freddy could coach Melbourne to a Premiership with the spine that they have.
storm 99-07-09-12 premiers
Guest
Im sure Bellamy doesnt really care how people see him , its only the club and family/friends he values the opinions of . Bellamy and Hasler are both modern day legends . Might go watch my 09 Gf DVD ...
Daniel
Guest
just a quote from a Daily Telegraph article dated April 27, 2012 "THE Australian Rugby League Commission has handed out salary cap fines totalling $166,557 over breaches in the 2011 Telstra Premiership and Toyota Cup. Parramatta ($80,366) will have to cough up almost half of the total with fellow strugglers the Gold Coast ($41,200) also feeling the pain along with Penrith ($39,633) while Canberra ($5358) got off lightly." So to those Parra fans saying the Dogs & Storm should be kicked out of the NRL, your club has also been caught cheating the cap
dubbo teacher
Guest
As a Parra fan I was disappointed to learn of the cap cheating after our GF loss but Bellamy's record is without peer in my opinion. As has already been said he developed reject players from other clubs and the cheating was in trying to RETAIN those blokes not buying in star players. His ability to get the best out of his players, and playing to whatever strengths he has in the squad is amazing. In the afl sides get huge concessions to succeed in developing regions. Storm wanted to keep the players they developed and cooked the books to do so but Bellamy's ability to recruit and nurture the likes of Smith and Slater then build a side around them in a new market has no comparison in league history. He reminds me most of Gibson who was as much about developing the man as the footballer. Gibson players were never mug lairs or oafish but acted like gentlemen. Likewise with the Storm blokes.You only have to look at the Dally Ms last year where Nate Myles, Uate and others were a damned embarassment then Coper Cronk speaks, as he did after the GF and his demeanour and articulate manner are a credit to his club. Likewise Cameron Smith (and probably all the others there) who takes the time and effort to get to know the reporters and addresses them by their first name and is always courteous, never surly ala Hasler or petulent ala Darius Boyd. I give Bellamy credit for that. Pretty sure too that Bellamy wouldn't pay 550k for Sandow and whatever for Ben Roberts ffs. Or have his star fullback out in a nighclub getting shot at or grocery shopping while the team is playing. If I sound a little bitter in comparing Bellamy to our coaches over the last 5 - 10 years you'd be right. Would take him every day of the week.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
apaway It not always about stats but there uis nothing wrong with making 5 of the last 7 grand finals and winning 3 and basically making the finals every year if we discount 2010. Given he has never recruited a gun player is record is amazing.
apaway
Roar Guru
Statistically, Scott, he has a long way to go: Wayne Bennett Premierships as coach: 6 (1992, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2010) Craig Bellamy Premierships as coach: 1 (2012)
Chivasdude
Guest
I doubt that Bellamy would lose any sleep over this. His record speaks for itself.
Steve Merry
Guest
No I am not saying that but they did not buy anyone of any significance. Check it out, not one of their stars were recruited from another NRL position. The whole problem at the storm was their success. Junior players became superstars and demanded superstar salaries hence the cap problem. That is what Gallop never got and is why Melbourne fans feel a little aggrieved.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Super, Pls read my article tomorrow on the Storm and try and listen to the video preview. This should not even be up for debate! If Bellamy is not the greatest coach of all time yet, ie passed Bennett, then he will before he retires and be THE greatest. Ask anyone that has had anything to do with him.
Renegade
Guest
How much success has he had in the EPL not coaching Man Utd? How many times has he moved on from the structures in place at Man U and actually coached against them?? Yeah GOLD Will....lol you're a crack up planko ;)
JayBob
Guest
I think what you mean to say is "Systematic drug use is slightly different to systematic cheating of the salary cap over a 5 year period". Why can't Melbourne fans just accept their club cheated and move on. When I read a Melbourne fan saying 'as far as I'm concerned we won blah blah blah' I just feel sorry for them. The Bulldogs copped it on the nose and accepted their punishment. I don't know of one Dogs supporter that goes around claiming they should have won in 2002. Funnily enough, the Roosters also went over the Salary cap in 2002 by a very large amount. This was not found during the year like the Bulldogs, but after the year once the Roosters had won. Obviously nothing was done about it. Here you have a case where a team is odds on to win the comp(17 wins in a row) only to be stripped of all points at the end of the season, and the NRL allowing another club who was ALSO cheating to win the Premiership. (Dogs also developed them into the players they were, just like the Storm, so the old "but we didn't buy them" excuse doesn't hold up) EVEN under these circumstances, you will not find a Dogs supporter claiming they should have won 2002. This is probably because of the different examples set by each club. The way the Storm and Bellamy carry on is disgraceful. Cheating is cheating and should always be punished accordingly. In regards to the article, I don't think Bellamy NEEDS to move to another club to prove he is a good, but it would definitely help in my eyes. Let's not forget they would not currently contain the big 3 if they had of followed the rules over the entire period. And would he be as successful without them? I doubt it. I definitely gained more respect for Bennett once he had won a title at St George, for me it confirmed how good he is.
SuperEel22
Roar Guru
Bingo Planko. Whilst I won't hold Bellamy in the same way I hold Bennett and Gibson, I will have a lot more respect for his coaching abilities if he wins a Premiership at a club other than Melbourne. And the Super League doesn't count. Bennett had to coach against Lockyer and Gibson had to coach against Sterling and co. Put relationships aside and well, if Bellamy can win a Premiership outside of Melbourne then he's earned a lot more respect in my book.
SuperEel22
Roar Guru
Fair point. However, it's a little unfair to compare Bellamy with Lombardi and Ferguson. Different sports, different eras, different players. As I raised in my article Gibson and Bennett have both moved out of the confines of one club. Yes they had strong ties to their players but they both recognised the need to make their mark at another club/s. Bellamy is still in his safety net of the Melbourne structure. As we saw in Origin he struggled without his Big 3 and he didn't know how to shut them down. For mine Des Hasler is the coach of the decade, he's won multiple Premierships with a legal roster and in his first season, at a club with some serious problems, he coached them to the Grand Final. I just want to see Bellamy move away from his Melbourne structure and test himself in a club where he's not part of the furniture and he doesn't have the 3 best players in their respective positions in the world.
SuperEel22
Roar Guru
I was completely satisfied with Melbourne losing their Premierships. As an Eels fan their illegal roster prevented guys like Hindmarsh and Burt the chance of a Premiership. To this day those players who played against Melbourne in the 09 Grand Final still hold that cheating against them. They deserved to have their Premierships stripped.
SuperEel22
Roar Guru
They kept them illegally. Any other club would've lost at least one of them after their first Premiership.
Stormtrooper4
Guest
Craig Bellamy is a great coach by whatever measure. I think almost everyone here would be happy to have bellamy coach their club and would be shouting from the rooftops if it had happened :P
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Totally agree with your comments Sheek, this piece is off the mark. 5 Grand Final appearances in 7 years is an incredible achievement. IMO Bellamy is nearing legendary status as it is. Not many if any coach would have brought the Storm back to dominance after the salary cap scandal. It would have been easy for the Big 3 to leave Town for greener pastures however there utmost respect for Bellamy ensured they stayed to rebuild the Club. It was a remarkable achievement.
sheek
Roar Guru
As I said somewhere else this morning, I'm no great fan of Bellamy's, but I respect his record. I have no axe to grind with him, nor do I feel compelled to defend him, but heck, I can't fight everyone's stupidity.....
apaway
Roar Guru
That's kind of minimising the extent of Melbourne's systematic salary cap cheating, AR. Cheating is cheating - whether its intended to improve performance or collectively retain players a club would be forced to part company with.
apaway
Roar Guru
No Sheek, they are NOT the premiers of 2007 and 2009 and "most" fans DO care. And cooking the books meant he had premium players at his disposal when other clubs did not so it is not at all an "entirely different matter". That being said, I don't agree that Bellamy needs to coach at different clubs in order to prove himself.
Stu
Guest
Barry, I agree with the sentiment that the grapple ad chicken wing made the game look bad but I won't judge a coach or player who comes up with a new tactic or strategy to win if it is legal at the time and then outlawed after. I do agree however that it looked bad and should have been shut down a lot sooner. I also agree that Bellamy's greatness or otherwise as a coach will be measured from now. I will be really interested in say 4 years (when the two year option on his contract is available) when the Big Three start retiring. I hope he takes the extra two years and starts rebuilding. He has proven he can build by finding and developing players, now....can he do it again. If he does, great coach, if not, still a good coach, maybe not a great. We'll all be waiting.